Belief Art of Love: Unraveling the Symbolism Behind the Heart

Throughout history, the heart has been a recurring symbol in art, literature, and everyday life. Its association with love dates back to ancient Greece, where lyric poetry often described the heart as the seat of emotions. The iconic shape we know today, however, is a relatively recent development.

In this article, we'll delve into the history of how the human heart became transformed into the symbol we're familiar with and explore its connection to love.

One of the earliest known Greek examples of this symbolism can be seen in the poetry of Sappho. Written around 7th century BC on the island of Lesbos, her poems often expressed longing and passion for loved ones. Take, for example, the following fragment:

'Love shook my heart,

Like the wind on the mountain

Troubling the oak-trees.'

Fast forward to the Middle Ages, where the symbol of the heart continued to evolve. During this period, the anatomical organ became associated with romantic love and chivalry. The heart-shaped brooch, in particular, was a popular motif in jewelry and art.

In 2011, I had the opportunity to visit the British Museum in London, where I saw a collection of 15th-century artifacts, including gold coins and jewelry from the Fishpool Hoard found in England in 1966. This experience sparked my curiosity about the origins of the heart symbol.

Historian Marilyn Yalom notes that the anatomical organ became the symbol we know today through a gradual process of artistic representation. From ancient Greece to the Middle Ages, artists depicted the heart as a symmetrical shape with two upper lobes and a V-shaped bottom point. This stylized representation eventually replaced the more realistic depictions of the heart as an ungainly lumpish organ.

Today, we see the familiar symbol of the heart everywhere - in text messages, signs, cakes, clothing, and more. But how did this symbolism come about? The answer lies in the ancient Greeks' association of the heart with love, which was later solidified through artistic representation.

In conclusion, the belief art of love is a rich and complex topic that spans centuries of human history. From Sappho's passionate poetry to the stylized depictions of the heart in medieval art, this symbol has evolved over time to become an integral part of our cultural heritage.

Belief art of love